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Education is first step to becoming real estate salesperson: Ask Joe

The Real Estate Council of Ontario is redesigning its registration education program to offer more knowledge from day one.

A registered sales rep needs to know how to estimate real estate values, how to market a property, how to properly represent their client throughout the process of buying or selling a property, and much more, Joe Richer writes. (Dreamstime)

By Joe Richer RegistrarReal Estate Council of Ontario

Sat., Nov. 25, 2017

I’m interested in becoming a real estate salesperson. How do I start?

Real estate can be a very rewarding career. After all, you’re helping people with one of the most important transactions of their lives. That’s also a big responsibility.

On top of that, one of the biggest selling points of working with a salesperson is the knowledge they bring to the buying and selling process. So if you want to become a salesperson, education is step one.

A registered sales rep needs to know how to estimate real estate values, how to market a property, how to properly represent their client throughout the process of buying or selling a property, and much more. They also need to understand the many contracts involved in trading real estate, from the initial listing agreement with the seller to the final execution of an Agreement of Purchase and Sale.

RECO’s current registration education program covers key topics like this. After completing the program, you can apply to RECO to become registered, as long as you meet the criteria for registration (see our website for more info). Once you are registered, there are additional education requirements you must complete in the first two years.

Over the years, the real estate industry has grown more complex, and it continues to change at a rapid pace. In 2019, RECO will launch a new program that will be a significant leap forward.

In particular, the new registration education program will do more to make sure new agents are ready to serve their clients’ needs from Day 1 by using real-life simulations, as well as more frequent and rigorous testing. That means more knowledge from the get-go.

We’re working with leaders in education, Humber College and NIIT Canada, to build and deliver the future of real estate education. Humber College and NITT Canada are working with more than 30 industry subject matter experts who are drawing on their extensive experience to aid the development of the course content.

Together, they’ll deliver a new program that will follow the process of a real estate transaction to help learners understand each step and how the steps all fit together. Along the way, the mandatory in-person simulation sessions will ensure learners are on the right track. This will be in addition to exams that focus on theory.

The program will also use innovative technologies to teach the real estate salespeople of tomorrow. Learners will also be able to choose how they access the courses — they will be able to choose from e-learning, in-person classroom and live virtual classrooms. We’re even using the talents of programmers from the cinematography and video-gaming industries for parts of the e-learning design.

We’re very excited about our new registration education program. After all, this is how the next generation of salespeople will get their start. We’re targeting the launch for mid-2019.

Joe Richer is registrar of the Real Estate Council of Ontario (RECO). He oversees and enforces all rules governing real estate professionals in Ontario. Email questions to askjoe@reco.on.ca. Find more tips at reco.on.ca, follow on Twitter @RECOhelps or on YouTube at youtube.com/RECOhelps.

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